How to improve the quality of life of your loved ones.

Doctors have known for some time that loneliness is bad for the mind. It leads to mental health problems like depression, stress, anxiety, and a lack of confidence.

Warm hands, warm heart and warm companionship are the ultimate solutions. Failing this, using technology is a can help.

Professor Stephen Hawking was conferred the ‘Excellence in Accessibility Award’ at the Technology4Good awards September 2012. He said:

“Technology is a vital part of human existence. They show us that the right tools, in the right hands, can help everyone, regardless of our frailties, to achieve our true potential and advance as a civilisation.”

We all have parents, grandparents, loved ones or buddies who may be lonely and isolated. They could be living far away or they could be just around the corner and they could be handicapped due to the ravages of age and illnesses which further compound their quality of life in a negative direction. Parents love viewing pictures or videos of their children and grandparents those of their grandchildren. This simple act makes a world of difference to their everyday lives.

Some are daunted by complicated technology and some simply are excluded because of degraded physical capabilities. Routine everyday tools/gadgets handled with ease previously, become difficult to use and in some cases even impossible.

For people living on their own they have varying range of needs depending upon the individual. The varying needs can be a mixture, examples are:

Use voice and video communications, vital for most

Use messaging and email

Listen to the radio

Access to and read newspapers

Access to weather reports

Access to social media

Play games like solitaire and others just want to know the time

Keep track of appointments (especially doctor’s)

Medicine reminders

Read a book

At EziCare Tech, we believe we have a simple solution.

We have developed an easy to use application which runs on Android. This application can be used in mobile phones or phablets.

Some users will find that the EziSmart app will serve them well when used in a smartphone, whilst others may need larger devices.

In this article we focus on how the EziSmart app can improve the quality of life when installed in a Samsung Tab S2 8” (LTE) or a Tab S2 9.7” (LTE).

The screen shots shown here are from using the EziSmart App in the Samsung Tab S2, 8” (LTE) model. The EziSmart App can be installed in Android smartphones with operating system above 4.3.

Fig. 1: Screen shot of the EziSmart launcher

Fig.1 shows the all in one EziSmart launcher serving as a communications device providing access to user selected preferred favourite apps and housekeeping apps. The reasonably large screen gives a clear, good and large visual picture with a big footprint for tapping. It replaces the big button phones and brings about inclusion.

Apart from keeping the user easy access to games (solitaire, scrabble etc) radio and news, one of the most beneficial usage we have tested is that of video communication using Skype. Communications with children or grandchildren using skype or other apps using video or chat is a boon. Set Skype to automatic answer. As soon as the video Skype call comes in Grandma/pa can talk to and see the grandchildren without having to lift a finger or perform complicated actions.

For users wanting to start from a simpler interface, look no further. Fig. 2 shows a simpler user interface. The user can start with this interface and migrate to that in Fig.1 when he/she becomes more familiar and confident.

A further migration is also possible. The user can migrate to the phone’s native Android as and when required.

Fig. 2: Screen shot of simplified EziSmart launcher

Fig. 3: EziPage – for more apps

The image at the right in Fig. 3 shows EziPage where the user can place favourite direct access apps in the bottom row (always available at a glance – this can be changed at will). When more apps of a secondary nature are required place them in EziPage (3 pages of 20 apps per page). EziSmart home page and EziPage reduce clutter and thereby reduce confusion and frustration. Hide away bloatware. Do not be over-whelmed.

EziSmart is an all-in-one user interface, compact, easy to use and simplified. There are other safety features built into the EziSmart App. Not everyone needs them and hence they are in the background, out of the way.

For more information refer to www.ezicaretech.com. Here you can also see the easy to use step by step pictorial user manual for the EziSmart app.